TUESDAY 17/11/09

LP Atari Punk ConsoleDiego de León (ES), Alejandro Bizzotto (ES)

This workshop offers the participant an introduction to the atari punk console circuit, a simple DIY noisemaker circuit. The LP Atari Punk Console is an improved version of this famous circuit, developed by Forrest M. Mims III.

The circuit has its name from its square wave output, as it is similar sounding to The Atari 2600’s. The console is a standalone instrument and works perfectly as first DIY electronics project. No previous knowledge is needed.

WEDNESDAY 18/11/09

The DIY drone synthesizer workshop
Peter Edwards (US)

Peter Edwards is providing Drone Lab kits to for participants to create a simple drone synthesizer. The Drone Lab is an analog sound module specially designed for making dense, rich tones. An instrument that fits your hand and still able to deliver some heavy sound.

Peter Edwards will also perform during the festival with finished drone synths, where he is inviting the audience to partake in the the performance.

THURSDAY 19/11/09

Qeve – Free your visualsLuca Carrubba (IT)

Qeve is a free tool for video improvisation, and developer Luca Carruba will give a two part workshop introducing the software. The first part is theoretic showing how Qeve differs from previous VJ-tools by introducing its unique features, technological framework that combines Gnu/Linux and PureData, and lastly the importance of the DIY paradigm in artistic production. The second part is practise, where all participants have the possibility to install of Qeve on their personal notebooks and partake in a streaming session.

The workshop is an experimental hands-on workshop with multilayered outcome for people interested in BioArt, DIY-biology, microscopy and simple technological interaction with living microorganisms. Participants will become involved in sourcing and isolating microorganisms such as tardigrades or nematodes. They will learn how to hack webcams to be used for live-video microscopy and then develop open hardware and software environments with which these organisms can be both viewed and become the subjects for simple interactions. A primary aim of the activity is to demonstrate that scientific/artistic experimentation can take place within the DIY and open source domains, and that biology and custom electronics can be friends.

FRIDAY 20/11/09

Navalha is a patch for slicing audio files in real time developed in PureData, with the goal of being a performance interface and a learning environment for artists working with free software tools. The workshop also presents techniques for creating a simple Arduino based hardware interface for the software.

Chaotic systems & indeterminacy. Chaoslab creates sensitive dependence on initial conditions, devices and inputs by having evolution through phase space (installation/workshop within a place) that appears to be quite random. Our Chaotic models seem to be deployed to ascertain various kinds of activities related to bifurcation points (uncontrolled steps of evolution within the workshop), period doubling sequences (or should we said multiple sequences), the onset of chaotic dynamics proposed by the participants, the strange attractors between sources, filters, amplifications, connections and other denizens of the chaos zoo of hacked behaviors.

The workshop is an experimental hands-on workshop with multilayered outcome for people interested in BioArt, DIY-biology, microscopy and simple technological interaction with living microorganisms. Participants will become involved in sourcing and isolating microorganisms such as tardigrades or nematodes. They will learn how to hack webcams to be used for live-video microscopy and then develop open hardware and software environments with which these organisms can be both viewed and become the subjects for simple interactions. A primary aim of the activity is to demonstrate that scientific/artistic experimentation can take place within the DIY and open source domains, and that biology and custom electronics can be friends.

SATURDAY 21/11/09

ToonLoop Live Animation WorkshopAlexandre Quessy

In this workshop, Alexandre Quessy will guide you through the steps of installing and using ToonLoop on GNU/Linux. ToonLoop is a realtime stop motion performance tool. Depending on the material they have, artists can make drawings, paper cut animation, clay animation or pixilation.

The participants are encouraged to bring their own computer along with a V4L2-compatible camera with its stand and some proper lighting. They can also use controller such as MIDI keyboard, pedals or custom DIY controllers. ToonLoop can be controlled using the FUDI protocol from Pure Data, or using the OSC prorocol. The live stop motion animation done with ToonLoop can be saved as Motion-JPEG movies and JPEG images.

Chaotic systems & indeterminacy. Chaoslab creates sensitive dependence on initial conditions, devices and inputs by having evolution through phase space (installation/workshop within a place) that appears to be quite random. Our Chaotic models seem to be deployed to ascertain various kinds of activities related to bifurcation points (uncontrolled steps of evolution within the workshop), period doubling sequences (or should we said multiple sequences), the onset of chaotic dynamics proposed by the participants, the strange attractors between sources, filters, amplifications, connections and other denizens of the chaos zoo of hacked behaviors.

The workshop is an experimental hands-on workshop with multilayered outcome for people interested in BioArt, DIY-biology, microscopy and simple technological interaction with living microorganisms. Participants will become involved in sourcing and isolating microorganisms such as tardigrades or nematodes. They will learn how to hack webcams to be used for live-video microscopy and then develop open hardware and software environments with which these organisms can be both viewed and become the subjects for simple interactions. A primary aim of the activity is to demonstrate that scientific/artistic experimentation can take place within the DIY and open source domains, and that biology and custom electronics can be friends.

SUNDAY 22/11/09

** All workshops are free to attend, but with a limited number of seats..
** To participate, sign up here or send a mail to: piksel09 [AT] piksel.no

Enhancing Pure Data Interactivity with Computer Vision (Open CV)

Yves Degoyon (ES)

Nowadays Computer Vision is acquiring a growing relevance in the field of interactive arts. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce some computer vision techniques which are the base of the actual pd_opencv library, a set of objects ( delivered as independent objects and not a library ), utilities and examples to use those techniques inside the Pure Data programming language. At the same time we introduce some practical examples of the possible use cases on this topic, and a brief introduction to the internals of the pdp and Gem libraries and the openCV API in order to understand the way to refine and extend the actual pd_opencv approach.

A microchip micro-controller makes it possible to generate signals, and with these signals you can display all kinds of pixel patterns on any VGA monitor or beamer. During the workshop participants will create their own “VGA test box” that will make it possible for you to do the same. The micro-controller will be programmed using PIC assembly language, however, assembly coding skills are not required, as pre-programmed chips will be available., and participants can create their own image / logo for their test box. Participants do need some soldering skills. The more adventurous participants can use the prepared micro-controller to hook it up to an Arduino or I2C chip, so that the VGA signal can be modified using a more powerful computer.

MONDAY 23/11/09

Minia is a USB, plug & play multiplatform device that allows the computer to communicate with the external /physical world via various sensors (sound, IR, light, movement etc).

Minia comes with 6 analog inputs at 10 bit of resolution. The device utilizes the Hid protocol, a high speed protocol that runs directly over USB, eliminating the need for drivers on any platform (Linux, MacosX, Windows).

TUESDAY 24/11/09

Minia is a USB, plug & play multiplatform device that allows the computer to communicate with the external /physical world via various sensors (sound, IR, light, movement etc).

Minia comes with 6 analog inputs at 10 bit of resolution. The device utilizes the Hid protocol, a high speed protocol that runs directly over USB, eliminating the need for drivers on any platform (Linux, MacosX, Windows).

Its open hardware architecture gives the participants to possibility to customize it for use with different kind of sensors, software and applications. You decide!